Logical reasoning PrepTest 113 · Section 2 · Question 1

Incorrect. If this were true, then it's unlikely that mediation would help at any point in the process, thus calling the first half of the President's belief into question. We're not looking for an answer that suggests mediation won't work—we're looking for an answer that explains how it can be effective early in the process but ineffective later.

Incorrect. This answer suggests that mediation might not be necessary, undercutting the call of the President to use mediation to resolve grievances early.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Facts

Question Type:
Paradox

Stimulus Summary:
Mediation will help resolve grievances, but starting it late in the process won't work.

Answer Anticipation:
The Company President here advocates for using mediation to resolve grievances, which might lead you to believe that she'd be in favor of mediation whenever the people involved would request it. However, the President notes that the proposal by the HR Department—to have mediation start late in the process—won't work.

Since the President has an issue with mediation only if it starts late in the process of resolving a grievance, there must be something that happens over time that makes the success of mediation less likely. Let's find an answer establishing that to be the case.

Answer Explanation:
This answer provides a reason that mediation might be helpful early on, but it's likely to be ineffective if used later on in the process. If people's positions harden over time, then once that's happened, mediation probably won't resolve the issue. Since this answer explains why mediation, even if useful early, is ineffective late in the process, it's correct.

Key Takeaway:
Be sure to have a clear view of the paradox in the stimulus for Paradox questions! Here, it would have been easy to make a mistake and pick an answer that suggested the mediation process is bad, instead of that it's ineffective when started late.

Incorrect. This would be true early or later on in the process, so it doesn't explain the President's differing views on mediation at different points.

Incorrect. This is an argument against the mediation process entirely, not only when started later on.